Differences
by Lai Jun Chen
Summary: "The first time Kuchiki Rukia saw Kurosaki Ichigo- truly looked at him- it was not their simlarities that she saw. Not exactly. She had not wondered why this ryoka looked like Kaien-dono. She had wondered why this ryoka looked so unlike Kaien-dono."


This one-shot fic is about the differences between Kurosaki Ichigo and Shiba Kaien from Rukia's point of view. It's vaguely romantic- _very _vaguely. And thank you to the reviewer who pointed out the mistake of Kaien's wife's name. I just started reading _Crazy Girl Shin Bia _and this suddenly reminds me of the most recent chapters (81-83ish). Odd.

And if the Ukitake part was not in the Manga, but rather in someone else's fic, I apologize for using it without giving credit because I know I read this Ukitake idea thing somewhere, but I'm not sure where.

Well, on with the fic!

I own nothing!

**Differences**

The first time Kuchiki Rukia saw Kurosaki Ichigo- truly _looked _at him- it was not their similarities that she saw. Not exactly. She had not wondered why this ryoka looked _like_ Kaien-dono. She had wondered why this ryoka had looked so _unlike_ Kaien-dono. Even though the latter line of curiosity made less sense than the former, that is what she wondered.

Somehow, she had _known_ that Kurosaki Ichigo was not Shiba Kaien's reincarnation. And though Ukitake-taichou had confessed that the first time he saw the orange-haired ryoka he'd had the ridiculous idea that Kaien had returned to save her… she still _knew_ that this was so very untrue.

At first, of course, she'd only noticed their aesthetic differences. It was Kaien-dono's deep, blue-black hair rather than Ichigo's vibrant orange. It was Ichigo's light brown eyes versus her lieutenant's ocean blue. Different eyes that always led her to think of Ichigo's long, thick, almost feminine eyelashes compared to Kaien's darker, thinner ones. Ichigo's hair was a bit shorter, Kaien's nose arched a bit differently. At the moment Ichigo was shorter, but he was only a teenage boy and likely to grow to at least Kaien-dono's height, if not to an even larger build if Kurosaki Isshin's physique was anything to go by.

Yet, their hair was of the _same_ style and texture. Their skin the _same_ tanned color. Their faces possessing the _same_ shape. Their bodies of the _same_ build. But still… these weren't _uncommon _attributes in any given individual.

And despite knowing Kurosaki Ichigo for so little time (and if one considered how long shinigami lived, she really hadn't known Shiba Kaien very long either) she could still see the differences in their personalities. So very different. Though both were protective and loving, Ichigo was closed with his emotions. Kaien-dono was open, often smiling, and joking, and _interacting_. Though Ichigo ending up making the same promise of 'being there for her' and 'protecting her' that Kaien had made all those years ago, he would not have teased her or joked around with Kiyone and Sentaro. Where the Shinigami was joyful, the Shinigami daiko was pensive. Likely, it was the death of his mother that took away Ichigo's smile, as well as his laugh. Kaien had simply always been so much louder than the ryoka boy.

But they had both always made her feel at ease. They didn't care that she was part of a noble family. They never looked down on her. They always protected her. Stubbornness, pride, and loyalty _saturated_ their blood. D_etermination_ as much a _part_ of them as that same blood, as their very DNA. And just as Ichigo had nearly died saving her, she knew that Kaien-dono would have followed Ukitake-taichou and done the same. They were both men of action, never wanting others to do what was their responsibility, never handing over their duty or their difficulties.

That was where their similarities ended. That was probably why she was falling in love with the exasperating Kurosaki Ichigo. After all, she had never envied Shiba Miyako. She had _admired _her. That talented, beautiful beautiful woman had been her idol. She had never wanted to _be_ her, but to be _like_ her. She had never pined for Kaien-dono, but had fiercely admired him as well. Kaien-dono had been her sempai, her friend, her leader. Kaien-dono had taken the place of her brother, the place she was certain Kuchiki Byakuya had never truly wanted, and never would.

Despite his brooding, the serious aura he exuded, the frown that seemed etched into his very soul, Ichigo radiated life. Intensity, ferocity, and the threat of violence followed him. And yet, despite the ever present possibility of danger there were a great many people who followed him. An indisputable sense of safetly followed him as well. It was as if he'd made himself a 'Taichou' and anyone was potentially a part of his living world based 'squad.' Sado and Ishida were his lieutenant's simultaneously (just as Ukitake-taichou had two third seats). Inoue was his personal fourth division with Hanatarou often her assistant. Renji, Yumichka, Ikkaku, and herself were frequently temporary subordinates, according to circumstances. If Zaraki and Yachiru were ever to follow anyone into battle, Rukia was fairly certain that they would be right at Ichigo's side, no questions asked. She knew that if Tatsuki, Mizuiro, or Keigo had developed any powers, as Sado and Inoue had, that they would have readily joined Ichigo's 'division,' as well.

There were so many in the living world and in the Soul Society who owed the Shinigami daiko their lives for the various things he'd done for them without even having to be asked. And those same people trusted Ichigo without question, _always_. Everyone in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was susceptible to Kurosaki Ichigo's charm.

She, Renji, and Hanatarou often went against orders, stood against the Gotei Thirteen to become volunteers in his make-shift squad. There were any number of creatures willing to follow the lead of 'Ichigo-taichou;' humans, Shinigami, Vaizards, and even arrancar. For a variety of mind boggling reasons, Rukia imagined that Grimmjow, Neliel and her fraccion would be more than willing to follow Ichigo as well. The charisma Kurosaki Ichigo exuded was boundless, unstoppable, and generally irresistible.

Rukia highly doubted that Kaien-dono would have _ever_ befriended Nel and her fraccion, or spared Dordoni and Grimmjow (much less offered to spar with the sixth Espada in future), or would have _ever_ accepted possessing a hollow. But Ichigo did all of this and more. Perhaps it was that her Fuku-taichou had been raised in the Soul Society and trained at the Shinigami Academy whereas her ryoka savior had, since learning of Shinigami and even after his invasion of the Seireitei, played everything by ear. Perhaps their differences were due to upbringing, due to the fact that Shiba Kaien was born to a noble house in the Soul Society and Kurosaki Ichigo was born to an average (at first glance) human family in the living world. It might have been their families, or social standing, basic differences of opinion, or even differences in power. Most likely it was the basic difference of Kaien's simple, unflinching loyalty to the Seireitei and its laws as opposed to Kurosaki's tradition defying loyalty to whomever he deemed worthy, regardless of sides or species.

In the end though, Kuchiki Rukia realized she would likely never find definite answers to such theories. And after anything and everything Rukia could think of to review and question, and analyze… the answers, the very reason for the differences between these two men became completely superfluous. It mattered only that they truly were different.

She imagined that as time went by she would discover a great many more differences. She looked forward to the prospect. After all, it had been the differences that she had fallen in love with.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading my fic. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think of it.


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